I'm planning a trip to Canada with my husband and in-laws. My mother in-law loves flowers and gardens. We like to have a nice relaxing stroll through beautiful parks, streets, markets, and museums. Which city is best for these activities? We may be spending around 3 days on this vacation. Also, which month would be best to visit? Hopefully not too hot or raining.

Any suggestion would help. Thanks!

Vancouver.

Montreal has the second biggest botanical gardens in the world - they are amazing, and can easily take a full day to explore. The Chineese Pavillian in the Botanical Gardens is the largest Chineese garden complex outside China. There are also Alpine, Japaneese, herb, and many other kinds of gardens. I highly recommend the Montreal Botanical
gardens to any plant lover. Montreal is also blessed with several large parks that are an oasis on a warm summer day. Montreal also has a great fine arts museum. There are two very large, European type outdoor flower and produce markets; and lots of quiet tree lined streets with interesting French-vitorian achitecture. All this plus great food in a French culture!

Victoria in June.

Your mother-in-law will love Butchart Gardens.

Maybe I missed this, but where are you coming from? You may not want to have to travel all day to get to a place where you'll only spend 3 days.

That's a good point. We are travelling from California. But if the city really nice, we don't mind travelling further and staying longer. We are pretty flexible.

From California, I'd suggest 3 days in Victoria and 3 days in Vancouver. Depending on when you come, make car reservations on B.C. Ferries to eliminate long line-ups.

Both cities have beautiful gardens, wonderful parks, lots to do. Neither city gets horrendously hot and rain is always a possibility, even in the summer months. However scientists are talking about another hot, dry summer for British Columbia, so we'll be wishing for rain most likely.

July or August would be a nice time to visit, June would be cooler with potentially some rain.

Cheers,
Linda

Ahhh - but the most beautiful flowers bloom in June !!

Honestly, I have yet to be to a Canadian city that *DOES NOT* have beautiful streets, parks, markets and museums, for future reference, syrinx.

Those cities include Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, Ottawa and Halifax. Atwater Market, the Islands, Byward Market, the Victorian Gardens, Jardins Bois de Coulonge.

I just became a permanent resident this past Tuesday of Canada and feel very proud of this great country! That said, I think the others advise well with Vancouver and Victoria, due to proximity.

Cheers! DAN

Congratulations Dan!

Vancouver's a gret city, but it is sort of San Fanciscoy, so get on a plane and fly to Montreal, which is about as different from California as you can get to on a direct flight.

There are lots of gardens and parks, but perhaps the best part for walkers ins the old part of the city, which has a market, churches, cobblestones, and much, much more.

Good hotels, great food, compact enough that you can walk most of the places you'll want to see, plus the underground subway system (Metro) takes you easily to the rest.

Three days on the ground, plus travel days, would be pretty good. Add two more days and go to Ottawa or Quebec City.

BAK

Congratulations Dan, happy for you.....

Wow, from the sound of it, Vancouver, Victoria, and Montreal are all beautiful places to visit. Before, I just thought it is nice to visit Canada because I never been there before. Thanks to your great comments and suggestions, I'm getting really excited in planning this trip!

I vote for Vancouver and Victoria as well. If you can stretch your trip another couple of days, Kelowna and the Okanagan valley are well worth a visit (about a 4 hour drive from Vancouver).
Also, August definately has the driest weather on the coast, and the Roses will be in bloom. See the Butchart Gardens, especially the rose garden.

Roses start blooming in mid-June in Victoria; other flowers that start puttng on a show are azaleas, late rhododendrons, Columbine, delphiniums, nemesia, tuberous begonias, stocks, poppies, sweet william, Weigela, and deutzia, plus masses of colourful annuals.
This and other information is available on the Butchart Gardens website (which, by the way, is celebrating its 100th "birthday" this year, 2004):

http://www.butchartgardens.com/main.php

Welcome and Congratulations to newly Canadian Dan...

My votes are for Montreal / Quebec City trip or what about Toronto / Oakville / Niagara On the Lake

If you do the Toronto you get the urban setting with lots to do and lovely old historical houses....fabulous shopping. Oakville has the parks on the water with the old streets and house...then drive on to Niagara On the Lake and see similar with the Vineyards and Botanical Gardens...stay in a B&B there...